


Bliss

by onewomanshow



Series: i wanna love you forever [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dadko, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fire Nation (Avatar), Fire Nation Royal Family, Fluff, Gen, Girl Dad, Katara and Zuko (Avatar) are Parents, Married Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Married Life, Momtara, Multi, Soft Zuko (Avatar), Steambaby, Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Zuko Is A Simp, they're so in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:07:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29889867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onewomanshow/pseuds/onewomanshow
Summary: Zuko introduces his turtleduck, his newborn baby daughter, to an actual turtleduck one morning and concludes that there's no place he'd rather be.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: i wanna love you forever [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2195664
Comments: 7
Kudos: 87





	Bliss

Zuko was already up, admiring his wife as she slept soundly next to him as he tends to do, when a soft cry cuts through the silence. Normally, he didn’t nestle. He rose with the sun, so he was typically already up and starting his day by now, but that was before he became a husband and a father. Now, he finds himself lingering in bed just to spend more time with them. He leans down and places a kiss on her shoulder as she begins to stir. “Go back to sleep, I got her” and Katara sighs happily before rolling over onto her stomach, snoring softly.

He pulls the covers back and stands up, stretching. Emi begins to wail a bit louder as he moves toward the bassinet on the other side of the room and chuckles. “Okay, okay. I’m coming. Sheesh, you’re so demanding, just like your mother.”

Katara was adamant about the baby sleeping in the room with them for the first few months instead of the nursery and it was one Water Tribe custom he really enjoyed. Not only was it easier on both of them since Katara was breastfeeding herself instead of using a wet nurse, but he also struggled with letting her out of his sight even for a second, so it allowed him to keep a watchful eye on her.

He picks up her with ease and comfortability that feels so natural, he can't believe that there was ever a point in time he cringed at the thought of becoming a father one day, and she quiets down instantly, recognizing his scent and warmth. He covers her little face in kisses, and she flashes a gummy smile that went straight to his heart. “Hm. Your diaper isn’t wet and it’s not time for breakfast. Did you just want attention?”

Emi gurgles and begins reaching her hands out, trying to grab him. “Oh, I see. That’s what it is.” He shakes his head. “Well, your mommy made her stance about me not spoiling you very clear so how about we get out of here and go somewhere quiet so we can talk? Just me and you. It’ll be our little secret.”

She blinks before staring at him with eyes that mirrored his own. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

He grabs his lounge robe that was discarded and haphazardly thrown across a chair. Since being with Katara and actually being able to relax, he’d gotten less anal about the strict, unnatural order his tutors instilled in him when he was a boy. He didn’t always hang it up in the wardrobe anymore after a long day, especially when his legs felt like lead and all he wanted to do was curl up next to her. Then, he wraps Emi up in a sling carrier across his chest – another one of those Water Tribe traditions that he loved.

Sometimes, if she were particularly fussy or Katara just wanted some time to herself, he would put her in it and bring her to meetings. Some of his council grumbled and complained about it but feeling a surge of power he wasn’t used to it- his uncle told him it was a father’s love, he told them to screw themselves and Azula didn’t even bother to still her laughter, cackling madly. She had a nursemaid for occasions when both of them were ridiculously busy or needed to attend formal events, but she was rarely used as they didn't want to get into the habit of passing her off to a minder. It was the talk of the town that the Fire Lord and Lady did most of the childrearing themselves and other mothers, especially those in the Lower Ring, in particular, said that it made the Fire Lady seem more relatable and not like some untouchable figure. It also helped that Emi was a relatively calm baby, sitting quietly in her rocker or in her parents’ (and even Auntie Azula's) lap happily. 

He walks through one of the secret passageways, knowing the path like the back of his hand even though he didn’t rely on them as much anymore. Him and Azula would play hide and seek for hours in them, scaring their minders when they couldn’t find them. Then, he settles down on the dewy grass in the garden.

Zuko surveys his surroundings. The moon peach trees were ready to be picked, the fire lilies and jasmine flowers were in full bloom, the sun was casting the sky in a beautiful mix of oranges, pinks, and purples, and the baby turtleducks were following their mother around in the pond.

He looks down and gently lifts Emi out of the sling so she can get a better look. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it, Emi?” He smiles. “Almost as beautiful as you and your mother.”

One of the turtleducks quacks and begins making its way over to them.

“I’m sorry, buddy. I don’t have any snacks for you this morning." Katara joked that the turtleducks were also his children because they were spoiled rotten, occasionally disregarding the oats and wheat the staff put out for them in favor of the tiny pieces of fish he would sneak out of the kitchen.

But the duckling curiously moves its head in Emi’s direction, sniffing, no doubt enraptured by that distinct, baby smell.

“Oh, are you coming to say hi?” He rubs the top of its head and it chatters happily. 

He holds Emi up in front of him.

“This is _my_ baby. You guys are about the same age but she’s a lot bigger than you. She can’t walk yet like you can though, so you have that advantage.” He pauses. “Her name is Emi. That means blessing and she certainly is one of mine.”

The duck seems satisfied with this and sits between his legs, resting its bill on his ankle.

He pokes Emi in her stomach, and she giggles, a bit of spit dribbling down her front. “I guess you made a new friend huh, turtleduck?”

The animal quacks again and she shrieks, making him smile so hard his cheeks hurt.

Here he was at 26-years-old, the leader of an entire country with thousands of people that depended on him to regulate, make decisions, and establish laws, the same leader that some regarded as “threatening and intimidating,” and his heart was melting over a baby animal and his daughter.

“My sister was right. I’m getting soft.” He says to no one in particular.

“You’ve always been soft.” Katara’s voice calls out from behind him. He always had been the sensitive one out of him and Azula, wearing his heart on his sleeve, and it was one of the many things she adored about him. Underneath the hardened, scorned exterior was a loving, compassionate, affectionate man that would do anything for the people he cared about.

Zuko looks over his shoulder at her, taking in her appearance. 

Her curly hair was messy – strands sticking up all over the place, her eyes had a certain heaviness to them that came with the late nights associated with having a newborn, and her sleepshirt was stained with traces of breastmilk, but in his eyes, she looked gorgeous. Her hair was shinier and thicker than ever, her skin had a subtle glow to it, and the remnants of pregnancy weight settled in all the right places.

Every time he saw her, he fell in love with her all over again.

“And you’ve always been a vision of loveliness.” He breathes out softly, caught up in her beauty.

She rolls her eyes but there’s a blush creeping up over her cheeks. She received compliments from him often and yet, every time it made her feel so alive. She walks over and sits down next to him, nudging him with her elbow. “How is our little turtleduck?”

Zuko laughs. “Great, and she made friends with an actual turtleduck.” Katara shifts her gaze down and coos at the sight of the duckling resting on his foot. “Oh, that is so adorable. He probably thinks you’re his dad.”

“Yay, more mouths to feed.” He jokes teasingly and she winces. “Speaking of feed, gimme my kid, my breasts are aching.”

He transfers the baby to her and as he watches her latch on, Katara humming a nursery rhyme, it occurs to him that he can’t think of a better way to spend his mornings besides bathing in this absolute bliss. He thought it was a much better use of his time than listening to a boring report from his advisors.


End file.
